1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable fixing member and a cable fixing structure for fixing a cable to a vehicle body, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a cable, electric wire, etc., (simply called “cable” hereafter) is wired or laid, and for example is wired under a suspension of an automobile, (called “under a vehicle spring” hereafter), an intermediate portion of the wired cable is held and fixed to a vehicle body side, to thereby prevent a contact between a tire or other components and the cable. A metal clamp is generally used for a fixing part of the cable. The metal clamp has a function of clamping an outer periphery of the cable from both sides by a metal component, and the metal component, by which the cable is clamped, is fixed to a vehicle body, etc., by using a screw, etc., to thereby hold the cable.
As an example of a conventional metal clamp, patent document 1 discloses a clamp for allowing a rotation, although controlling an axial movement of the electric wire, in an electric wire holding device for holding the electric wire for supplying electric power to an in-wheel motor which is incorporated in a wheel of an automobile. Such a clamp has a structure as follows: a cushioning cylindrical member attached to (or fitted to) the outer periphery of the electric wire by an adhesive agent, etc., is clamped from both sides by a clamp body component, and the electric wire is rotatably supported by providing a bearing structure between the cushioning cylindrical part and the clamp body component. According to the clamp with such a structure, it may be possible to suppress a breakage of the electric wire due to repeated bending of the electric wire which is caused by a vertical movement of the wheel, by allowing a rotation of the electric wire.
[Patent document 1]
    Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication No. 2007-276738
However, according to a conventional metal clamp, a force to grasp and fix the cable is small, thus involving a problem that disconnection, etc., occurs, by detachment of the cable from a designed fixing part. Particularly, when the cable is used under the vehicle spring, the cable is bent or vibrated, with foreign matters such as mud or snow adhered thereto, thus adding an excessive tensile force to the cable. In this case, if the force to fix and grasp a clamp portion for fixing the cable is small, the cable is moved and is brought into contact with surrounding components, and there is a large possibility that the cable is damaged and disconnected.
Further, when the cable is clamped by the metal component, the force to clamp the cable is easily unevenly added, and a positional relation between the metal clamp and the cable becomes different from a designed value. Therefore, an unintended great force is added locally to the cable, with a result that a designed layout position of the cable is deviated, thereby involving a problem that a trouble such as disconnection occurs.
Even if the clamp of the aforementioned document 1 is used, it is difficult to surely fix the electric wire when a great force is added to the electric wire, because the force to fix and grasp the cable is small, due to a structure that the cushioning cylindrical member is attached to the outer periphery of the electric wire by the adhesive agent, etc. Further, according to the clamp of the patent document 1, although the rotation (twist) of the electric wire is allowed by the bearing structure, the twist of the electric wire occurs incidentally and unexpectedly due to the vertical movement of the wheel, with a result that the surrounding components and the electric wire are brought into contact with each other, or unintended strain is generated in the electric wire, leading to the disconnection. Further, the movement of the cable involving the twist is extremely complicated, and therefore it is difficult to estimate and design a cable layout beforehand, with the twist of the cable added.